


Facing the Dawn

by Ceata88



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: A lot of other characters appear but it's minor, Gen, Harumi is the bad guy but not really, Oni are the bosses, four ninja are the main masks, it's a majora's mask au, lot of death themes, so yeah it's sad as shit, there's no ships in here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-04-16 08:44:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14161074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ceata88/pseuds/Ceata88
Summary: They called him the Hero of Time, but Lloyd never really felt like one. All that effort and he couldn't seem to save anybody. Even with the ability to start over these three days it felt like he lost more and more. Would he really be able to put an end to that mask once and for all?Majora's Mask AU, mostly just written with highlight scenes.





	1. Denial

**Author's Note:**

> pfffffpfpffffff god why do I write this it just hurts constantly 
> 
> Everyone is human in this au btw, sorry if that disappoints anyone. 
> 
> Splitting it up per area, chapters might vary in length

_A journey in search of a beloved and invaluable friend..._  
  
_. . . . . ._  
  
    Lloyd’s gaze was empty as he stared at the masks in front of him. Moonlight filtered through the window of the inn. Night of the first day.  
  
    He knew he should be out doing something. Defeating the Oni again before going to face Harumi on the clock tower, saving the farm, anything really.  
  
    Instead he was here, still not used to all of the silence. Even when the others left him before to replace the Oni, he found another not long after. Always a voice in the back of his mind telling him where to go.  
  
    Now he was alone again, just four empty faces staring back at him.  
  
    It was strange to think that you could miss someone so much when you barely knew them. Perhaps it just felt that way because of resetting time so many times. Or perhaps it was because the damage of his father’s death still hadn’t healed.  
  
    So many people back home called him a hero, and for what? That evil wasn’t gone, it had just stolen away someone else. His father died for nothing. All of these people died for nothing. Because Lloyd couldn’t destroy that mask the first time around.  
  
    And no matter how many times he went back in time they wouldn’t return.  
  
    These thoughts made him want to toss the masks back in his bag, forget they were there, but he didn’t dare turn away. He had no other choice but to face all of this head on.  
  
    They all taught him that.  
  
    They taught him a lot of things.  
  
_. . . . . ._  
  
_“Catch me if you can, Hero of Time.”_  
  
_. . . . . ._  
  
    Kai was the first. A chance encounter after his horse was stolen by Harumi. He’d fallen down a hollow tree, no clue where he was.  
  
    “She trap you too, huh?”  
  
    The voice startled Lloyd. He drew his sword when he spun around, feet splashing in the water.  
  
    It was a boy, only a couple of years older than he was. Brown hair, scars over his eye, and somehow grinning despite the tangle of vines and roots that kept him trapped to the wall. His red outfit was tattered.  
  
    “She?” Lloyd lowered his sword as he drew closer. “Do you know where she went?”  
  
    “Flashed by on a horse.” The boy frowned. “I think she forgot I was here. Hey, listen, you’ve got a sword. Think you can cut me out of these things?”  
  
    Lloyd studied the vines, hearing them creek whenever they moved. The things seemed to be sucking the guy into the wall.  
  
    His gut twisted when he leaned even closer, the details becoming far more obvious.  
  
    “Your arm.”  
  
    “Huh?” The guy glanced at where the roots were digging through his skin. “Oh, yeah, haha. Look, don’t worry about it, just get me out. I’ve gotta save my sister.”  
  
    Lloyd wasn’t sure about this, but the guy sounded desperate. The sooner he helped him the sooner he could get back to his own pursuit.  
  
    He was careful as he cut through the plants, not wanting to slip up and injure him further. His arms were easier to free than his legs. Lloyd had to look away and feel his way around the giant root buried in his thigh.  
  
    When he was free the boy collapsed to the ground. His arms tried to push him back up, but his legs wouldn’t follow.  
  
    “Damn it,” he cursed. “I gotta get back home.”  
  
    Lloyd put his sword away and reached down. He carefully pulled the stranger’s arm around his shoulder before standing both of them up.  
  
    “Thanks.”  
  
    “Which way?”  
  
    Kai nodded toward one of the tunnels and Lloyd headed in that direction. They moved slow, as Lloyd was aware of how little mobility he had in his legs at this point. In fact, holding him this close, Lloyd noticed his shallow breathing as well.  
  
    “What’s your name?” He struck up conversation as they moved through the dark tunnel.  
  
    “Kai.”  
  
    “I’m Lloyd.”  
  
    “Hey there, Lloyd.” Kai smiled. “You’re not from here, are you?”  
  
    “To be honest, I don’t know where here is.” There was barely anything to see in the dark tunnel, but he looked around anyway.  
  
    “An underground path to Clocktown.” Kai said. “The center of Termina.”  
  
    Termina? Had Lloyd traveled that far?  
  
    “Is that where you’re from?”  
  
    Kai shook his head. “I live in Yurushin. It’s a hidden village in the swamps south of Clocktown.”  
  
    “Swamp huh?” Lloyd listened to their steps on the solid wood, glad to be out of the water. “Sounds like a rough place to live.”  
  
    “Nah, it’s not that bad. The trees are fantastic. There’s these giant lily pads too. And a neat boat rental shop.” Kai’s smile fell as his gaze moved forward. “Until she showed up.”  
  
    Lloyd slowed down. The shallow water returned. “Huh?”  
  
    “She awoke some kind of creature. It cursed our temple and our people. The water turned to poison. Everyone is so angry and they lash out over the smallest things. My sister and I tried to stop it but...”  
  
    Kai stopped. Lloyd was about to ask him to finish when the room lit up. Torches lined the walls, revealing the moss and flora in the room. His gaze followed them to the other side.  
  
    Harumi floated there, that cursed mask still on her face.  
  
    “What took you so long?” She taunted, her voice echoing as if there were dozens of people speaking. “Picking up some dead weight?”  
  
    Lloyd gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on Kai. “Where’s my horse? And my flute?”  
  
    Harumi pulled out the instrument, tossing it up and down in her hand.  
  
    “That horse was useless.” She scoffed. “Wouldn’t listen to a thing I said. I did you a favor and got rid of it.”  
  
    Lloyd’s throat went tight. His glare faltered.  
  
    “Aw, what’s with the long face?” She straightened up.  
  
    Damn this thing. Damn everything about it. Lloyd would attempt to launch a counter attack if he wasn’t supporting Kai.  
  
    “What the hell is your problem?” Kai jerked in his grip as if he intended to run forward. “Why are you doing this?”  
  
    Harumi snorted and crossed her arms. “Why should I tell you? You won’t be around to see it.”  
  
    Lloyd tried to place himself between them. “Not this time, monster.”  
  
    Her laughter seemed to chill the air. “What? You want to keep him around that bad? You just met.” Her voice got low. “Little Lloyd. Always desperate to be a hero.”  
  
    “Shut-up.”  
  
    “Have you even saved anyone?”  
  
    “Shut-up!” He knew it wasn’t really Harumi saying this, but that didn’t make it any easier to listen to.  
  
    She just laughed again. “Okay, okay, I’ll play along. You want to keep him around that bad? Let me help.”  
  
    The eyes of the mask glowed. Lloyd tried to run out the door but the wood closed up. There was a soft chattering in the air. Something moved under his feet. His muscles felt heavy, like something was pulling them to the left.  
  
    Kai must have realized what was happening. “Lloyd, let go of me!”  
  
    He just glanced at him, confused. Vines snapped out of the water and grabbed their legs. Kai tried to shove him back, but it was far too late.  
  
    “Lloyd!”  
  
    Kai’s scream was the last thing he heard before the plants and water swallowed him.  
  
    The silence seemed to last forever. It was dark. He could still feel something pulling on his limbs. Tighter. Tighter. It hurt.  
  
    The chatter returned, quiet and then louder. The darkness fled when fire ignited at his feet. His escape from it was cut off when another appeared behind him. Towers of orange and red soon surrounded him. The heat licked at his skin.  
  
    Lloyd shot through the first opening he saw. He swore he was running, but it felt like he wasn’t moving. The air kept getting hotter and hotter. He couldn’t breath.  
  
    He glanced back to see the wall of flames charging right at him.  
  
    It burned.  
  
    He couldn’t scream.  
  
_“Lloyd!”_  
  
    Kai’s voice seemed to come from different directions. As he tried to focus on it he noticed something cold on the side of his face. Bit by bit he opened his eyes and felt the wet moss under his fingers. Was he back in the path? What had even happened?  
  
    Lloyd forced himself to sit up. Harumi was still there, floating, giggling. He fumbled around but his sword was missing. He spun around to look for it only to notice his reflection.  
  
    That wasn’t his face.  
  
    But it wasn’t Kai’s either.  
  
    His hand shot up to feel the scars, to make certain he wasn’t hallucinating. He stared at his now red uniform.  
  
     _“Lloyd?”_  
  
    “Kai? Are you... in my head?”  
  
_“I think we’re in each others heads.”_  
  
    The shock on his face must have been obvious. Harumi was thrown into a fit of laughter.  
  
    “Oh yes, that look suits you so much better. Aren’t you glad he gets to stick around?” She began to float backwards. “Enjoy each others company while you rot down here.”  
  
    No. She was going to escape. His fear was suddenly crushed by anger that wasn’t even his. He screamed in a voice that wasn’t his either. His body seemed to move on his own as he charged forward, trying to catch up to her.  
  
    No good. The wood closed up again. Lloyd slammed his fists against it. Or maybe that was Kai. Everything became muddled so fast.  
  
_“We have to stop her.”_  
  
    Lloyd agreed, but how could they do that? His sword had vanished. So had most of his equipment. How were they supposed to get out?  
  
    Not that he could think of a solution right now. The air still felt hot. It made him dizzy.  
  
   _“Sorry,”_ Kai said. _“That’s probably my abilities.”_  
  
    Lloyd blinked. What?  
  
   _“The royal line in my village have the power of fire.”_  
  
    “You’re royalty?” He wasn’t sure why that was the first question.  
  
   _“Uh, sorta. It’s not like a big area or whatever. My sister is in line for the throne anyway. Especially now that...”_  
  
    Lloyd wasn’t sure who’s emotions were causing the pressure in his chest. He tried to change the subject.  
  
    “You said fire powers?”  
  
_“Yeah, but masked and dangerous blocked my magic. But maybe...”_  
  
    Lloyd thought he was in control of his arms, but once again everything seemed to move on its own. Kai thrust their arms forward, pointing them at the door.  
  
    Nothing happened.  
  
    “Damn,” Kai cursed.  
  
    Lloyd wrenched back control. “Stop doing that without warning.”  
      
     _“Sorry. I don’t know how this works.”_  
  
    Lloyd didn’t either. He supposed he’d be panicking more if he hadn’t already dealt with skipping puberty, fighting well zombies, and fighting his father in a lava castle.  
  
_“Yo, what? That’s wild. Who are you?”_  
  
    “I’m Lloyd.” He was glad the torches were still lit as he looked for another way out.  
  
     _“Your father...”_  
  
    He ripped the torch off the wall. “Please don’t dig through my head.”  
  
   _“Hard not to when you’re thinking about it. Sorry.”_  
  
    Lloyd sighed, the tension leaving his system. “I know.”  
  
    Somehow the ache in his chest eased up. The irritating heat cooled to something softer.  
  
   _“We’ll find a way to stop her.”_  
  
    He clung to that reassurance as he dug around for an opening.  
  
     _“Hey, look.”_  
  
    Kai tilted their head. Bit by bit the wood was shrinking back. Perhaps the spell was wearing off.  
  
  _“Alright!”_ Kai’s excitement rushed through. _“Let’s get out of here.”_  
  
_. . . . . ._  
  
_“You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?”_  
  
_. . . . . ._  
  
    “Kai, we need to jump in order to grab it.”  
  
     _“No, no way. Not into the water.”_  
  
    “You live in a swamp.”  
  
     _“Full of_ shallow _water.”_  
  
    Lloyd rolled his eyes and watched the shard from the Ultra Dragon flitter around over the water. No telling how it wandered to the back area of town.  
      
    “You said the dragon could help. We’re doing this.”  
  
    Kai’s fear of water kept making it look deeper than it actually was. He felt nauseous.  
  
    “Just leave me in control and I’ll handle it.”  
  
    The anxiety lingered, but Lloyd could feel Kai let go. It was as if he was squeezing his eyes shut and waiting for it to be over.  
  
    Lloyd concentrated on the green shard. Then he leapt off the tiny bridge, reaching out.  
  
    He managed to snatch it, grinning before they hit the water. The rush of fear almost made him choke, but he forced himself to focus and swim up.  
  
    Lloyd reached the steps in one stroke and pulled them out of the deep water. The tiny dragon wiggled from his grip and scurried up to his shoulder.  
  
    Well, at least it wasn’t running.  
  
     _“Hah, no problem.”_ Kai was laughing, but his nerves were obvious.  
  
    They headed back to the north part of Clocktown, trying to avoid the angry dog loitering around the construction area. Lloyd could still see the guard Kai punched earlier giving them a dirty look.  
  
     _“He better let us out when we get my fire back.”_  
  
    Lloyd shook his head and kept moving.  
  
    The fountain was just how they left it. Dozens of tiny green dragons scurried around the water, watching him as he entered.  
  
    The one perched on his shoulder jumped down and flew toward the center. The other followed, flying around each other before they all burst into a bright light. Lloyd covered his eyes.  
  
    When he looked back up he quickly stumbled back. The creature was huge, barely contained in the water. Its scales were white and green, reflecting other colors from the strange light on the walls.  
  
    “Thank you, Hero of Time.”  
  
    Lloyd flinched at the title.  
  
    “And you, Master of Fire.”  
  
    Kai took over, running a hand through their hair. “Aw, it was nothing.”  
  
    Lloyd scoffed. He was too scared to even swim in a laundry pool.  
  
    “He doesn’t need to know that.” Kai spoke through their teeth.  
  
    The dragon chuckled and leaned closer. “I know why you came, but sadly there is nothing I can do for your curse.”  
  
    Kai froze. “What?”  
  
    “The forces tying you together are more than dark magic and more powerful than mine.”  
  
    What did that mean? What else could be influencing this?  
  
    “However,” the dragon straightened up. “I can recover your magic.”  
  
    “Yes!” Kai jumped in the air. “Fire power, here we come.”  
  
    “Hold still,” the dragon scolded.  
  
    Kai stood at attention, flinching at the cloud of smoke the dragon breathed over them. It smelled like ash and wax. Lloyd expected it to flood their lungs, but they breathed just fine. In fact, he felt far more energized.  
  
    When the smoke cleared, Kai cheered again. Flames engulfed their hands and Kai spun them around.  
  
    It felt bizarre, holding it in his palm. It was hot and tickled their skin, but never burned.  
  
    “Check it out, Lloyd. Pretty cool, right?”  
  
    It was, but he’d rather Kai not be reckless with it.  
  
    The dragon was chuckling again. Was that a response to Lloyd? It lowered its head until they were at eye level.  
  
    “Young Hero of Time, you carry a lot of weight in your soul.”  
  
    Yeah, like he needed a reminder.  
  
    “In order to recover, you must recognize it’s there.”  
  
    He flinched. The events from the past few months flashed by in his mind.  
  
   _“What have you two done?”_  
  
    Lloyd shoved it all back.  
  
    He could feel Kai’s curiosity, but the fire master said nothing.  
  
    “Good luck you two.” The dragon sunk into the water. “If your injuries are too much, please come and see me.”  
  
    A few bubbles rose to the surface before it was gone. Lloyd tried to take in the gentle sound of flower water, but Kai was shouting again.  
  
    “Come on,” he rushed from the fountain. “Let’s go light something up.”  
  
    He’d better not over do it, or threaten the guards.  
  
    “Fine, I’ll play safe.” The sun burned their eyes for a moment. Kai scanned the park, looking for a target.  
  
    His gaze stopped on the balloon a kid was spitting... something at.  
  
    No, that was a bad idea.  
  
    “It’s fine.” Kai lit up their palm.  
  
    Whatever was making it float was probably flammable.  
  
    “Here we go!”  
  
    No!  
  
    Too late. Kai chucked the fire ball into the air. The second it hit the balloon the thin layer of plastic exploded. The gas inside burst into flame so fast, Lloyd could feel the air rush past.  
  
    Everyone in the park froze. The kid had fallen back on the ground, staring in shock.  
  
    “Awesome.” Kai cheered.  
  
    Lloyd took control long enough to face palm.  
  
_. . . . . ._  
  
_“But I wonder how that troublemaker got on top of the clocktower?”_  
  
_. . . . . ._  
  
  _“Hey Lloyd?”_  
  
    He glanced up from the book he was reading. They had settled to wait for the third night in the observatory. The guards still wouldn’t let them out and there wasn’t much else they could do until they faced Harumi.  
  
    Lloyd occupied his time by reading up on the local mythos.  
  
_“What happened to your dad?”_  
  
    He gritted his teeth and tried to focus back on the page.  
  
   _“Look, I know it’s not an ideal topic, but you won’t stop thinking about it.”_  
  
    “Then you should already know.”  
  
_“Your thoughts are pretty disconnected.”_  
  
    Lloyd flipped the page. He didn’t want to talk about this. It was a nightmare and it was mostly his fault from the start.  
  
_“How so?”_  
  
    He sighed. There really wasn’t any sense in keeping it a secret when someone else lived in his head.  
  
    “My father was good friends with the King of Hyrule. I spent a lot of time at the castle because of it. The princess and I were friends and then one day...”  
  
    Harumi had spoken with him in secret about a vision she had. A dark cloud taking over Hyrule only to be stopped by a green hero.  
  
    It’s not that her vision was false, but they had no idea what it truly meant.  
  
    In order for Lloyd to combat what was coming, she insisted they get hold of the Master Sword. Lloyd went on a journey for the sacred stones.  
  
    But when they opened the doors, they discovered what else the Temple of Time was hiding.  
  
    The spirit of the mask escaped. It tried to cling to one of them as a vessel.  
  
    Garmadon got in the way.  
  
    Lloyd ran for the sword. Maybe if he was fast enough he could destroy it without hurting his dad.  
  
    When he grabbed it, however, he was trapped.  
  
    He awoke seven years later to a ruined town, a missing princess, and a monster in place of his father.  
  
    It was a blessing he found Harumi. The pair of them desperately fought to lift the temple curses and free the sages. He traveled the whole country, warping back and forth in time, fighting monsters bigger than he ever could have imagined.  
  
    But even after recovering all the sages and storming the castle, there was no saving his father.  
  
    Despite all the stories around the Sword of Evil’s Bane, Lloyd didn’t think it lived up to it’s name. Why couldn’t it just destroy the mask? The fight drew out longer and longer, and every phase his father became less and less recognizable.  
  
    In the end there was only one way to stop it.  
  
_“I’m sorry, my son, but I am glad you are safe.”_  
  
    He never forgot those last words, his hands still gripping the hilt of the blade as if it was the only thing keeping him anchored.  
  
    Suddenly the memory vanished. He could feel something ripping it away.  
  
_“Great goddess you... you had to do that?”_  
  
    “Yeah,” Lloyd curled up. “And now I might have to do it again.”  
  
   _“This is so fucked.”_  
  
    “It’s all my fault.”  
  
     _“No it’s not.”_ Kai seemed to shake him. _“Neither of you knew what would have happened. You were just trying to help.”_  
  
    “We caused the very thing we were trying to prevent.”  
  
    Kai sighed, long enough that Lloyd had to exhale himself. _“Sorry, I don’t really know what to say.”_  
  
    Lloyd was surprised Kai wasn’t angry. If it hadn’t been for him this chaos wouldn’t have come to Termina either.  
  
     _“It’s not your fault that mask is the devil incarnate. This time we’ll just have to find a way to stop it for good, and save your friend.”_  
  
    “Kai, I’m not sure we can–”  
  
     _“We’re going to save you friend. Say it or I’ll make you.”_  
  
    “Kai–”  
  
  _“Say it!”_  
  
    Lloyd huffed but couldn’t keep himself from cracking a smile. “We’re going to save my friend.”  
  
_. . . . . ._  
  
_“You should run too. It seems it’s going to fall tomorrow morning.”_  
  
_. . . . . ._  
  
    Lloyd’s nerves were only held steady by Kai’s anger as they ascended the last of the steps. He tread slowly on the wood, eyes fixed on the moon above them. It was so close he swore he could just reach up and touch it.  
  
    Harumi floated not far before it, still toying with his flute.  
  
    He’d come up here without a plan. What were they supposed to do?  
  
    “Harumi,” he tried to call out to her. “Please, stop this.”  
  
    She snorted. “What? You think this is something that can be stopped?”  
  
_“The flute.”_ Kai cut in.  
  
    What?  
  
   _“That tea lady said you needed to get your precious item back. It must be the flute. We have to make her drop it.”_  
  
    That sounded simple enough, but how were they supposed to–  
  
    “Surprise!”  
  
    Kai suddenly took control, launching a huge blast of fire into the air. Harumi shrieked and dove back to escape. The flute slipped from her grip and clattered onto the wood.  
  
    Lloyd was too bewildered to move, so Kai did it for him. He shot them forward, snatching up the instrument with a grin on his face.  
  
    “Swamp...”  
  
    Their gaze shot up. Harumi was still in the air, hands gripping the sides of her head.  
  
    “Harumi?” Lloyd tightened his grip on the flute.  
  
    “Swamp. Mountain. Ocean. Canyon. Hurry... the four who are there... bring them here.”  
  
    “What?”  
  
    The eyes on the mask glowed. Suddenly she threw her head back, screaming at the sky. Lloyd covered their ears. The shrieks vibrated in his chest. His gaze shot up when he realized the moon was suddenly falling much faster.  
  
     _“Fuck,”_ Kai cursed. _“Now what? Even if we get this back to the tea lady there’s no way we can stop all of this.”_  
  
    Lloyd knew that. All he could do was stare up, two pairs of red eyes glaring down at him. His mind conjured up images of lighting and fire. The roar of a monster.  
  
     _“If only we had more time.”_  
  
    Time.  
  
   _Time._  
  
    Lloyd held up his flute. At least he could have sworn it was his flute. Suddenly he was staring down at a row of drums hanging off his shoulders.  
  
  _“My drums!”_  
  
    Kai knew what these were?  
  
   _“Sure, they’re a traditional instrument back home– wait this isn’t the time for that. What are you doing?”_  
  
    “You know how to play these right?”  
  
  _“Duh.”_  
  
    “Then follow my lead.”  
  
    He looped the song in his head, over and over again, praying Kai could play by ear.  
  
    Kai played it with ease, the drums sounding far more pleasant than he expected. The feeling he got while playing it made everything else phase out. Even the giant moon that kept creeping closer.  
  
    Then it slowed down, and froze. Everything froze.  
  
    Lloyd only got to take in the sight for a moment before everything rewound. It felt like something was ripping him back, the images going so fast that everything turned white.  
  
_. . . . . ._

 _“She trap you too, huh?”_  
  
_. . . . . ._  
  
    When everything slowed down, Lloyd felt dizzy. He blinked once, twice, taking in the morning rays that shown down, lighting up Clocktown square. The construction workers moved in a similar path. The dog darted around nearby. Even the sounds were familiar.  
  
_“Did everything just... start over?”_ Kai seemed to be staring even more than he was.  
  
    Lloyd let out a breath, glad that the song of time still held that kind of power.  
  
  _“You’re something else, Lloyd.”_  
  
    He took the compliment, but didn’t reply. With the flute still in his hand he spun around on his heel and headed into the tower.  
  
    The tea lady was sitting in the same place, pouring the same cup of tea as before. She didn’t seem surprised to see them again so soon.  
  
    “Ah, good, you got it back. I knew it would be no trouble for you.”  
  
    Lloyd scoffed. He supposed it would be a stretch to call it difficult, but that didn’t make it any less stressful. “You said you knew a way to turn us back.”  
  
    “Of course,” she pulled out a flute of her own. “A bit impatient aren’t we?”  
  
    Of course he was. They only had three days, even if they could reset everything. The less time they were messing around the faster he and Kai could get to the swamp.  
  
    “Listen well then, Hero of Time.”  
  
    Lloyd did, taking in the notes the first time around before pulling out Kai’s drums again. He shut his eyes, letting Kai take control as he followed the notes. The song was calm but almost eerie. Lloyd could feel his muscles relaxing but something tugging on them at the same time. The burning sensation from earlier slowly crept up on him.  
  
    When he opened his eyes everything was black. He turned, seeing that same wall of fire. Panic rushed through him, but eased back as the flames shrunk. They grew smaller and smaller, shifting into the shape of a man. As the last of the fire dissipated Kai was left standing there, staring at him.  
  
    Lloyd smiled at him. “It worked.”  
  
    Kai smiled back, but something about it was off. “Yeah, it did.”  
  
    Then, just like the fire, Kai began to fade away.  
  
    Panic made Lloyd dart forward, gripping Kai’s arms to keep him from vanishing any further. “Wait, what’s going on?”  
  
    “Come on, Lloyd.” Kai kept smiling. “We both know I was a dead man walking.”  
  
    “Huh?”  
  
    The smile fell. “You didn’t figure it out? The reason the dragon couldn’t undo all of this?”  
  
    Lloyd just kept staring. What was he talking about?  
  
    “You have to let go, Lloyd.”  
  
    Emotion rushed up from his chest. “No!” He shouted and gripped even tighter. “You weren’t dead then. You can’t be dead now. That song should have healed you.”  
  
    “Healing someone doesn’t just mean keeping them alive.”  
  
    “No,” his voice cracked. “No, no, this can’t be happening. I said I was going to help you.”  
  
    “You have.”  
  
    “What about your home? Your sister. You said you were going to save her. You can’t leave.”  
  
    Kai freed one of his arms and reached up, putting a hand on Lloyd’s head. “I’m sorry, Lloyd. I know all of this sucks, and the truth is nothing I can say is going to make it better. But you can’t run from it, and you can’t keep blaming yourself.”  
  
    Lloyd hugged Kai, tight, praying it kept him around longer. “I can’t keep doing this by myself.”  
  
    “You won’t.” Kai nudged him back, lighting a flame in his palm and gently putting it in Lloyd’s hands. “Even if I’m not here I’ve got your back, no matter what, I promise.” He grinned this time. “And I know this is a bit selfish, but um, please get to the swamp. Save my sister and...” His gaze fell, tears showing up at the corner of his eyes. “Tell her that her foolish older brother is sorry for running off without thinking.”  
  
    Hearing the ache in his voice had Lloyd crying all over again. He clung to him, not wanting to let go, not wanting to be alone again.  
  
    He was a hero. Why couldn’t he manage to save anyone?  
  
    “You did. You have.” Kai ruffled his hair again. “Now go save everyone else.”  
  
    He couldn’t stop crying. His arms felt like lead as he forced himself to pull back. Kai was fading again, but still smiling.  
  
    “Come on,” Kai smacked him on the arm. “What did we talk about?”  
  
    Lloyd took a deep breath. “We’re going to save my friend.”  
  
    “Damn right.”  
  
    A clatter made the vision shatter. Lloyd opened his eyes to look down at what made the noise.  
  
    A mask of Kai’s face stared back up at him. He reached out slow, hands shaking, taking note that his green clothes were back.  
  
    “What is this?”  
  
    The old lady lowered her flute and picked up her cup of tea. “The spirit of your friend was sealed into that mask. If you wear it you will return to your previous shape.”  
  
    Lloyd wasn’t sure if that thought disgusted him or filled him with relief. At least that meant he could get those fire powers back, right?  
  
    But now Kai was–  
  
    “Quit staring, it’s weird.”  
  
    Lloyd shouted, the mask slipping from his grip and clattering on the floor again.  
  
  _“And don’t drop me, what the hell.”_  
  
    “Kai?”  
  
   _“What’s up? Told you I wouldn’t leave that easily.”_  
  
    Lloyd picked the mask back up, holding it closer. “It’s really you.”  
  
   _“Who else? Now quit staring, we’re burning time here. We gotta get to the swamp and save my sister.”_  
  
    He cracked a smile and laughed, a few stray tears managing to escape. He thanked the strange lady and tucked the mask away as he exited the tower.  
  
    It was the dawn of the first day.  
  
_. . ._  
  
_“There’s no need to hide, my son. I’m here, and you do not have to face these fears on your own.”_


	2. Anger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey after 80 years I have an update for this.
> 
> Sorry it's more of a side project and other stuff took priority for a while. I have the next part (mostly) planned out so we'll see how long it takes. 
> 
> It's just more suffering really.

_“You’re telling me! Like the rumors about the swamp to the south? Did you hear about the kidnapping?”_  
  
. . .  
  
     _“So this is a problem.”_  
  
    “Really?” Lloyd glared down at the mask he attached to his hip. “I wouldn’t have guessed.”  
  
    He glanced back up at the giant octorock that sat in front of the tunnel that lead to the back of the swamp area where Kai’s village was hidden.  
  
    The trek here had been simple and straight forward, but of course it couldn’t last.  
  
     _“Ugh, my father uses them to protect the village during times of crisis but now we have to get around it.”_  
  
    “Can it not recognize you?”  
  
   _“Even if it did we have the water to worry about. That stuff will burn you if you walk in it.”_  
  
    Lloyd looked at where the clear water shifted into a reddish purple. There was no telling what was causing the toxicity, but it certainly didn’t look friendly.  
  
    “Then what should we do? Is there another way in?”  
  
   _“Not from here, but there is the boat tour.”_  
  
    Lloyd frowned. “We were just there. The boat guy was missing.”  
  
     _“So we find him and we drag him back. I think his brother lives to the east of the shop. Let’s go.”_  
  
    Lloyd sighed and began to wade back through the water. “You’re awfully bossy lately.”  
  
     _“We need to save my sister and we’re almost down a day out of three.”_  
  
    Lloyd rolled his eyes. He had already slowed down time but apparently it wasn’t enough.  
  
    Still, he understood Kai’s urgency, so he did his best to wade faster.  
  
    He was glad to be back on dry land, even if the path was cluttered with plants. Some of them living, trying to nip at legs.  
  
    “I can’t believe people live here.”  
  
     _“You get used to it. And it’s not normally this bad.”_  
  
    Lloyd tried to refrain from damaging the plant life, but the end of the path was too cluttered. He used his sword to cut through it, ripping vines off the trees in the process.  
  
    Finally the path ended, opening into a clearing. Most of it was full of water which came from a waterfall off a cliff that only slightly towered over the trees. There was a huge tree in the center of the pond, with a house built into the top of it.  
  
    What a place to live.  
  
  _“That’s Krux’s potion shop. He should know where his brother is.”_  
  
    “Is he trustworthy?” Lloyd stepped through the water to reach the ladder.  
  
     _“...good question.”_  
  
    “Kai.”  
  
     _“What? I’ve only had to talk to him a couple of times for medicine. I don’t think he’d hurt us at least.”_  
  
    Whatever. Lloyd had dealt with sketchy shop owners before.  
  
    He was slow to open the door, listening to the wood creak against the hinges. The smell hit him first, a mixture of herbs and smoke. The whole shop was fairly dark, only lit by candles and the glowing mushrooms on the walls.  
  
    A man stood behind the counter. It was cluttered with pots. One in the back of the shop was steaming.  
  
    The man looked over, eyes glancing down at Lloyd. “Oh? Odd to see someone so young in here.”  
  
    Lloyd saw something move on the wall. He jumped when he realized how many snakes were weaving around on the shelves.  
  
    “Um, your brother runs the boat tours, right?” Lloyd tried to keep his focus on Krux.  
  
    “Ah, looking to explore the swamp are we?” The pot began to bubble. Krux took a moment to stir it. “He came by to help me gather ingredients in the woods. Although he has been gone a while.” He tsked and tapped the spoon against the edge of the pot. “He’d best not be playing games with Ronin’s monkeys again.”  
  
    Lloyd frowned. He didn’t recognize the name.  
  
    “Well, if you want to go looking for him I won’t stop you. Just be careful in those woods.”  
  
    As if he didn’t need to be careful in the whole swamp.  
  
   _“No, the woods are different.”_ Kai said as the pair of them left the shop. _“Something off about them. Only those monkeys can navigate it fully.”_  
  
    Lloyd climbed down the ladder and jumped into the water. At this point he just resigned to the fact his feet would never be dry. He glanced around the clearing, noticing the opening between two thick trees.  
  
    “The monkeys are famous I guess.” Lloyd drew his sword as he stepped inside. With the sun going down it only got darker. “Do you know who Ronin is?”  
  
     _“Who doesn’t know who Ronin is around here. Kind of a weird guy. The monkeys belong to him and help him hide out in the woods doing... whatever.”_  
  
    As he went farther inside the plants spread out. At least walking around wouldn’t be a nightmare.  
  
   _“My sister is friends with him, actually. I don’t know how. He agreed to help us find out what happened at the temple, but then Harumi showed up. I decided to scare her off while they went on ahead but, well, we know how that turned out.”_  
  
    Lloyd looked down at the mask and frowned. “Any idea what happened to them?”  
  
   _“No, but looking at the state of the swamp I’m going to guess they aren’t safe.”_  
  
    Lloyd heard a squeak. He glanced up to see one of the monkeys sitting in the clearing, tilting its head.  
  
    Or was it a monkey. It didn’t have a tail.  
  
  _“Why does that matter?”_  
  
    “Monkeys have tails.”  
  
     _“Whatever, nerd.”_  
  
    The monkey hopped over. Lloyd flinched back as the creature studied him up and down, glancing at Kai’s mask.  
  
    Then it squeaked again and took off.  
  
     _“Follow it!”_  
  
    Lloyd put away his sword as he gave chase. Keeping up with the creature was easier said than done. It was fast, and had no trouble hopping over the endless stumps and branches that littered the path.  
  
    Sometimes it would fake him out, heading in one direction before turning around. Kai insisted they had to stay on the right path. A wrong move would cause them to get lost, possibly for good.  
  
    After one last turn the monkey suddenly jumped into one of the trees. Lloyd was about to get annoyed when he spotted two more of them, sitting next to something. Stepping closer, Lloyd realized it was a man.  
  
    The monkeys fled when the man groaned, trying to sit up. His long black hair was full of leaves and twigs. There was blood smeared under his nose. A moment later he collapsed again.  
  
    “Are you okay?” Lloyd ran over. It had to be Krux’s brother. Their faces were almost identical.  
  
    “Ugh, no.” The man kept his face in the dirt. “Minding my own business when some kid in a mask comes out of nowhere and nails me. Still can’t move.” He turned his head, looking up at Lloyd. “You don’t have any of my brother’s potions do you?”  
  
    “Ah, no.”  
  
    “Damn,” he tried to roll over and failed. “One of those would have me back up in no time. You couldn’t go get one, could you?”  
  
    Ugh, fetch quests. Why was it always fetch quests. “Yeah.”  
  
    “Cool,” he gave him a thumbs up. “Name is Acronix, by the way. Tell him I sent you.”  
  
    Lloyd just sighed as he did his best to navigate out of the woods.  
  
. . .  
  
_“Aha! Yes! Acronix is revived!”_  
  
. . .  
  
    Lloyd fiddled with the picture box as he sat on the boat. He had a couple of questions for how the boat was moving on his own. Then again after a second dip into the potion shop and Acronix managing to fly off into the air he had to assume some kind of magic was involved.  
  
    He stared down the lens before lifting it up and looking through at the scenery. Even at this late hour there was still a lot he  could see with the torches along the boats path. Creatures would shy away as he went by, taking cover in the trees.  
  
    There was something soothing about it. He wondered what it was like when the land wasn’t cursed.  
  
     _“Come on dude, take some pictures.”_  
  
    “It’s too dark. They won’t come out good.”  
  
     _“Fine, whatever, you better try it out later though.”_  
  
    Lloyd was tempted to dangle his feet in the water but he knew that would be a bad idea as they got deeper in the swamp. His gaze moved up, from the tops of the trees to the night sky. The stars were peaceful for a moment, but that was soon ruined by the moon. As it drew closer Lloyd had noticed it taking on a different shape. As if it had angry eyes and gritted teeth, fangs jutting out from it’s bottom jaw.  
  
    His gaze snapped back down when he noticed the octorock getting closer and closer. Lloyd stood up on the boat, putting the picture box away before grabbing Kai’s mask.  
  
    He put it on his face, still not used to the way it clung to his skin. Fire seemed to rush through his nerves and it always took everything he had not to scream.  
  
    But as soon as it started it was over, and he found himself standing taller once again.  
  
    The octorock seemed startled, confused, but moved out of the way nonetheless. Lloyd watched it as the boat drifted past, nervous that it would see through the trick and attack them.  
  
    It didn’t.  
  
    He exhaled as they got past it and into the new area of the swamp. He was almost startled by how different it looked. The vines that climbed up a large rock formation were so many colors. The trees here looked more like mushrooms with their orange leaves fanned out in a circle.  
  
   _“Told you it was cool.”_ Kai gloated.  
  
    The boat came to a stop at a dock that sat in front of a tall wooden wall. Lloyd looked at the colors painted on the wood, not unaware that a monkey was sitting near the door.  
  
     _“Huh, weird. They usually don’t stray far from the woods without Ronin. Unless...”_  
  
    Unless what? He almost wished he could still look into Kai’s head.  
  
    He didn’t get much time to inquire. Once again as he got close the monkey took off, running through the open door. Lloyd took off after it, only to screech to a halt yet again.  
  
    It must be the village. There were wooden houses all built on top of the water, surrounded by plants. They were interconnected by bridges, some of them stopping on land or on a larger bridge that ran down the middle. It all headed into a huge building that was partly built into another rock formation. Judging by the amount of decorations that had to be the palace.  
  
     _“Home sweet home.”_ Kai sighed. _“You want a tour? My mom has this really cool maze in the back. It’s where we do all our training.”_  
  
    “Maybe after we get this place fixed up.” Lloyd kept his voice low as he headed forward. “And why aren’t we headed straight to the temple?”  
  
     _“Two reasons. One um, I don’t actually know how to get in.”_  
  
    “What?”  
  
   _“You need a song that’s only taught to the royal family. Since my sister was going to inherit the throne my parents haven’t taught me yet. Second, I want to know exactly what’s going on. Maybe Nya did come back and I have less to worry about.”_  
  
    Lloyd wasn’t sure they’d be that lucky. Still, getting a better feel for what was happening would only–  
  
    “Your highness!”  
  
    Lloyd flinched and glanced back to see a stranger running over.  
  
     _“Oh shit, people think you’re me.”_ Kai hissed. _“Damn, why can’t I still take over. You gotta follow my lead, or they might kick us out.”_  
  
    “Thank goodness you’re okay,” the woman said. “Your father has been thrown into an absolute rage since you and your sister went missing.”  
  
    Lloyd did his best to keep up with what Kai was saying in his head. “I was gone for a while. I got uh, knocked out... uh kidnapped. But I escaped!” He put his hands on his hips. “What about my sister?”  
  
    “Still missing,” the woman sighed before she suddenly glared. “I should have known her dealings with that thief would only end in disaster. I can’t wait to watch him burn.”  
  
    “Th-thief? You mean Ronin?”  
  
    “Who else? Didn’t he kidnap you too?”  
  
   _“Don’t argue with them right now.”_ Kai hissed. _“I told you everyone around here is... off.”_  
  
    “D-don’t remember. I got knocked out.” Lloyd lied.  
  
    “Well thank goodness you escaped. You should go see your parents. Perhaps a visit from you will quiet him down a bit. He keeps talking about serving justice but all he does is shout.” The woman glared at the palace before turning back to her home.  
  
    “Don’t respect royalty much around here.” Lloyd mumbled as he tried to rush to the palace. The less people who noticed him the better.  
  
   _“Eh, small place. People know you too well. Half of them raised me.”_  
  
    “So why do you even have a system of royalty? Why not just a mayor or something.”  
  
   _“I don’t know. Something about our history.”_  
  
    Lloyd was slow to walk up to the palace entrance. Two guards stood there at attention, glaring straight ahead.  
  
     _“They say when Termina was formed it was just one huge city, in the center where Clocktown is.”_  
  
    Lloyd kept walking. One of the guards gave him a smile and nodded, but he didn’t move. Neither of them stopped him.  
  
     _“But a lot changed. People spread out. Supposedly when my people came to the swamp, one man encountered the deity in the heart of it.”_  
  
    Lloyd looked at the walls as he stepped through the open pathway. There were other doorways, but he ignored them for now, something urging him to go straight.  
  
     _“There was a test of strength. The man passed, and the deity granted him the power of fire. Not as a means of destruction, but as a means of survival.”_  
  
    “Is it similar in the other locations?”  
  
     _“I don’t know. I’ve never been.”_  
  
    “Well when we save this place you can go with me.”  
  
    The conversation fell short as Lloyd entered the back room. It was a huge throne room, ceilings going so high he almost couldn’t see them. The center of it was nothing but sand, dirt, and a huge fire pit. It was crowded as well, villagers playing music on those drums Kai had mentioned as well as a number of flutes. The tall wooden bars on the left caught his attention, some kind of prison. Lloyd could see someone inside.  
  
    The music suddenly stopped. Lloyd jerked his gaze forward again, seeing a man at the front of the room stand up from the throne.  
  
    “My son, you’ve returned!”  
  
    He flinched at the title, but did his best to smile. Play along. Play along. He made himself walk forward, trying to act like he belonged there. Thank goodness for Kai’s direction.  
  
    “Hey dad,” the term left a bad taste in his mouth, though he didn’t know why. “Sorry to worry you.”  
  
    “No need for apologies.” The man ran down the steps to meet him halfway. Without the flames from the fire pit in the way Lloyd could now get a better view at the ornate outfit he wore. He’d never seen clothing that red in his life. “It’s good you’re safe again. What about your sister?”  
  
    “I... I don’t know.”  
  
    The man’s mood immediately went sour. His bright eyes turned to glare at the prison. “You hear that, thief? If my daughter does not also return by the morning, your life will be forfeit.”  
  
    “Whoa,” Lloyd cut in too quick. It earned him a suspicious look and Kai hissing in his ear. “I just, what makes you so sure he did it?”  
  
    “Isn’t it obvious?” Kai’s father scoffed. “He’s seen running off with you two and is the only one to come back? Who else could be the culprit?”  
  
    Lloyd could think of a number of things but he held back. As Kai said, arguing right now wouldn’t do any good.  
  
    “Don’t you remember any of this?”  
  
    “I was knocked out.” He kept going with that excuse.  
  
    “Aha, see? Struck from behind. How low of you, Ronin.”  
  
    “Oh just set me on fire already.” The man behind the bars snapped back. “See if that will get your daughter back. I already damn told you she’s trapped in that temple.”  
  
    “Impossible. There’s no way my daughter would have taken the likes of you anywhere near that place.”  
  
    Other people in the room shouted out their agreements. Lloyd just glanced between them, still unable to see Ronin’s face. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.  
  
    “Hello dear,” a woman spoke. It must be Kai’s mother. “I’m glad you made it home safe.”  
  
    Lloyd opened his mouth to reply, but paused when he was pulled into a hug.  
  
    “Indeed,” the king added. “We should celebrate your safe arrival.”  
  
    “Huh?” Lloyd gently freed himself. “What about finding Nya?”  
  
    “We shall resume our search after this thief sees justice.”  
  
    What? That didn’t make any sense.  
  
     _“I know it doesn’t. I told you everyone’s so off. They find something to blame and won’t let it go. We have to get into that temple.”_  
  
    But how were they supposed to do that? It didn’t seem like Kai’s parents would be open to sharing the song required to do so.  
  
  _“Ronin.”_  
  
    Huh?  
  
     _“Ronin was with my sister when she opened the temple. He must know it. We have to find a way to talk to him alone.”_  
  
    Lloyd looked around the throne room as the music started up again. He tried to be subtle as he crept closer to the prison, peering through the bars. There didn’t seem to be a door on the outside, so how did they get Ronin in there?  
  
   _“There’s a back entrance. You have to go through the garden but it’s gonna be highly off limits right now.”_  
  
    “Even though you’re the prince?” Lloyd muttered.  
  
   _“No one is thinking straight, remember? Just play along with the party for now. When you find a chance to slip out, take it.”_  
  
. . .  
  
_“You have strange powers, no?”_  
  
. . .  
  
    The music was gone by now, so were most of the people in the throne room. For whatever reason the king was still there on his throne. Perhaps he was sleeping. Only four guards remained in the room, the fire was still going. Normally the light would be a bad thing, but there was enough shadow in this prison to keep Lloyd hidden.  
  
    He crawled out of the entrance and carefully climbed down, tip toeing over to the pole Ronin was tied too.  
  
    The man must have heard him, his head snapping around to glare at him. Within a second it dropped.  
  
    “Oh thank goddess it’s you.” Ronin whispered. “But if you came to spring me out, you’re wasting your time.”  
  
    “Don’t be stupid we– I need your help to get into the temple.”  
  
    “No. If I go missing this place will just fall into more chaos.”  
  
    “So? They’re going to kill you.” Lloyd reached for the ropes but Ronin twisted himself around so they were out of his reach.  
  
    “Listen to me, this isn’t the time to argue. Whatever curse that monster is bringing on this place just gets worse and worse by the day. Their anger is starting to poison them to the point they’re fighting each other. If me being locked in here keeps it calmer for just a while longer, I’ll take it. You need to get to the temple and stop that monster.”  
  
    Lloyd supposed he was glad that Ronin had that much confidence in Kai, but it still didn’t make sense. “What makes you think I could do that?”  
  
    “Because you’re the only one who could out burn it. Fight fire with fire.”  
  
    “What?”  
  
    “Look, let me just teach you the song, okay? Quietly. Your dad is a light sleeper.”  
  
    Lloyd frowned. This wasn’t right. Still, he pulled out the drums, hoping he could still remember how to play them.  
  
    He more or less tapped the notes out with his fingers, not wanting to make any sudden noises. He risked going a bit louder as he got the rhythm of the song going.  
  
    Then jerked to a stop when he heard someone shout.  
  
    “That song!” The king shouted. “The thief knows the Song of Awakening!”  
  
    The what? God damn it. All the guards in the room were up and moving now.  
  
    “This is proof he trapped our princess!”  
  
    “Kid, run,” Ronin hissed. “They don’t see you yet, get out of here.”  
  
    “But you–”  
  
    “Go get your sister, damn it. Now!”  
  
    The guards were shouting now. A couple of them running out of the room. No, Lloyd couldn’t just leave someone again. There had to be a way.  
  
   _“Lloyd, come on.”_  
  
    He put the instrument away and darted back to the exit.  
  
. . .  
  
_“This swamp you are in has lost its guardian deity. But it was destined to fade anyway... And that destiny is not solely limited to this swamp.”_  
  
. . .  
  
     _“Lloyd, I know you can’t read my mind anymore, but I can read yours.”_  
  
    Lloyd didn’t reply to that at first, still looking around the stone walls of the temple. It was so dark in most of these rooms, only a handful having torches that still burned. Kai’s abilities made it easier to navigate but there were some creatures here that reacted violently to the light. Moths, masses of shadow, larger bugs that would fly down from the ceiling, just to name a few.  
  
     _“Stop worrying about Ronin.”_  
  
    “They’re going to kill him.”  
  
     _“You can reset time. Maybe after navigating all this the first time you can do it quicker the next time around. Save the swamp before they can do anything.”_  
  
    That only made Lloyd pause. Would it really matter if they defeated the monster here? If Lloyd reset time it would just come back. It would all be for nothing.  
  
   _“That can’t be right. Harumi wouldn’t have sent us here if it would be useless.”_  
  
    Lloyd wasn’t so sure, but in the end there was only one way to find out.  
  
    If he could get out of this room first.  
  
    The rotating panel in the middle was making him dizzy, whether he sat on it or not. There was still one door he hadn’t gone through but it was bolted shut. There had to be a trigger somewhere.  
  
     _“Maybe it has something to do with that bow we found?”_  
  
    Lloyd glanced at the weapon that sat on his shoulder and the quiver at his hip. He’d already used it a number of times on some other switches, strange eyes that sat on the wall, always staring forward.  
  
    But he’d already shot the one in here. What else was there? He kept looking around, until finally he noticed the torch in the corner.  
  
     _“Oh my god, we’re so stupid.”_ Kai said. _“Fire arrows!”_  
  
    Would that work? He supposed it was worth a try. Fire seemed to be the key to a lot of things in this temple after all.  
  
    “You ever shot a fire arrow before?” Lloyd studied one of them, wondering how flammable it was and how long it would last. The fire wouldn’t damage his weapon, would it?  
  
    Though thinking about it, the tips on these arrows looked odd. It was like a metal he’d never seen before. Lloyd carefully lit a flame on his finger as he tapped it.  
  
    The metal sparked. He almost dropped it in shock as the tip ignited, the flames spitting and roaring.  
  
     _“Don’t flinch so much. Fire can’t hurt you right now.”_  
  
    Right, of course.  
  
    Lloyd watched the flames flicker for a moment before he pressed the arrow against the bow. He drew it back, feeling the heat radiate off the weapon. He forced his gaze to move past the flames to his target, the torch.  
  
    He let go. The arrow sailed through the air and passed over the torch, but was close enough to ignite it. With it alight there was a click in the wall. The locks over the door vanished.  
  
     _“Alright!”_ Kai cheered, his excitement rushing through Lloyd. _“Come on, we have to be almost there.”_  
  
    Lloyd jumped across the rotating platform to the other side. The door opened when he ran his fingers over it, like many of the others in the temple.  
  
    Yeah, this room didn’t look like fun. Pillars sticking out of a huge pool of water. Lloyd could already feel the oncoming anxiety, likely thanks to Kai.  
  
     _“Great, there’s a dragon on that flame pillar over there.”_  
  
    The dragons, or shards of them, had been scattered around the dungeon. No doubt one of the creatures was nearby waiting to be reformed like the one in clock town. Lloyd had managed to find twelve of them so far. It looked like there were two more in here.  
  
    First was the matter of getting across the room. Kai taught him a while back a trick he could use to launch himself in the air using his flames by firing them out of his hands and his feet. It wasn’t good for hovering, but it could send him pretty far.  
  
    So he did that, landing on one pillar, then another. He spotted another dragon curled up in a notch in the wall. Lloyd jumped over to a nearby platform to coax it out. That just left the last one.  
  
    Lloyd headed close to it again. The fire might not hurt him but it felt pretty intimidating. Was there a way to cut it off? Something about the pillars looked mechanical.  
  
    He looked around once, twice, finally spotting the crystal almost tucked behind a wall. Lloyd drew an arrow to strike it.  
  
    That did the trick. The flames went down. Lloyd jumped up on the platform, scooping the dragon up in his hands. The creature chirped and curled around his arm before climbing into his bag.  
  
    That better be all of them. Lloyd wasn’t climbing through this dungeon again.  
  
    It took him a moment to notice the heat building other the soles of his feet. He glanced down at the pillar he was on. The charred edges where the fire had come out was slowly glowing hotter and hotter.  
  
    Oh no.  
  
    The nearby crystal let out a sharp ting. Flames erupted from all sides. It didn’t burn Lloyd, but the heat surprised him and he stumbled backwards, losing his footing. Everything moved in slow motion for a moment. He could hear Kai scream.  
  
    He hit the water. It flooded over his vision and tried to flood his nose. He gasped out a breath to keep his lungs clear.  
  
   _“We’re drowning.”_ Kai panicked. _“We’re drowning, we’re drowning.”_  
  
    No they weren’t. Lloyd forced himself to keep calm as he kicked, pushing himself to the surface.  
  
    He got his head above water, gasping for air. Kai was still panicking in his head, but Lloyd forced it on mute as he swam over to the only platform low enough to climb on.  
  
    He dragged himself out of the water, still gasping. The stone floor felt rough against his knees. Lloyd tossed his head back to get the wet hair out of his face, running a hand through it.  
  
   _“Well, not only did that suck but now we have to climb back up there.”_  
  
    He glanced up, seeing how tall and daunting the pillars looked from here.  
  
    Lloyd groaned and went to look for a ladder.  
  
    After some more tedious climbing and more tedious jumping, Lloyd found himself on the other side of the room. He didn’t like the looks of this door. It was huge, bigger than the others. There were scorch marks underneath.  
  
_“I’ve got your back.”_ Kai assured him. Lloyd took a deep breath, trying to cling to that confidence as his fingers brushed against the door.  
  
    The symbols on it light up red. The stone threw up soot as it slowly opened. Lloyd ducked his head as he entered. The room was huge, circular, almost empty except it appeared that there were ashes along the floor. Did this used to be some sort of shrine?  
  
    “Keep your guard up.” Kai warned. _“It has to be in here.”_  
  
    But what was it? Lloyd still wasn’t sure.  
  
     _“I don’t know.”_ Kai admitted. _“We never actually saw it. Just glimpses of–”_  
  
    A screeched echoed through the room. Lloyd covered his ears and cringed but opened his eyes again when he felt the wave of heat.  
  
    There was a burst of flame as the monster dropped from the ceiling. It was tall–no, massive–as it straightened up. Its body was a dark red, four arms sprouting from its shoulders and it held four swords. The weapons were black, sparks coming off them as the metal slid together.  
  
    And its face, was that a mask? It was such a twisted and angry expression, fangs curling out of its mouth. Two large horns came from the sides.  
  
     _“No.”_ Kai’s broken tone along made Lloyd’s chest go tight. _“No!”_  
  
    “What? What is it?” Lloyd backed up as black smoke poured out of the creature’s mouth.  
  
     _“That... that’s the guardian. I didn’t realize at first but that’s the guardian of the swamp.”_  
  
    His heart stopped. What? The same being that helped all these people survive here? What was it doing cursing them?  
  
     _“That’s not its face.”_ Kai said. _“That’s not...”_  
  
    Right. Harumi must have cursed all the guardians. That’s why she told them to go here. Perhaps freeing them all would allow them to stop all this.  
  
    But that just left one question.  
  
    How were they supposed to do that?  
  
    The mask on its face shook. It growled again before chanting in a language he never heard before. Its swords twirled in its hand, swaying back and forth.  
  
    It was huge, it was so huge. How was Lloyd supposed to fight against this?  
  
   _“Lloyd, look out!”_  
  
    Kai’s shout brought him back soon enough for him to see the creature aiming at him. Lloyd panicked, using the fire to launch himself up and away from the sword. It scraped along the stone floor, sending up another flurry of sparks. Despite having nothing to cling to it created a wall of fire.  
  
    Great, fire powers. How was he supposed to deal with that either?  
  
    The creatures yellow eyes met his and flashed. Lloyd could only blink before another sword flew up. The back of the blade hit him right in the stomach and sent him flying.  
  
    Lloyd grunted as his shoulder hit the hard ground. His body rolled a couple of feet. His shoulder hurt, his side hurt, his elbows hurt. Were his ribs broken? The pain was so sharp he couldn’t breath.  
  
   _“The potion. The potion Acronix gave us.”_ Kai’s voice was so urgent. Lloyd forced himself up, forced himself to dig the bottle out of his bag. He drank down the red liquid in a quick chug, almost spitting up the spicy flavor.  
  
    But it did the trick. The pain in his injuries vanished. He managed to stand back up.  
  
    Just in time too. The monster rushed at him, swords ready to strike. Lloyd ran straight at it. Its reach was too long to dodge by running. It saw him approach, made a swipe for him, but Lloyd dove forward. He rolled across the ground, underneath its legs. His hand snapped out his bow as he grabbed an arrow. He let the flames shoot up his arm to light it as he aimed at the back of the monster’s head.  
  
    He fired.  
  
    The arrow dug into the back of its skull. It roared before collapsing to its knees.  
  
   _“Try and take out its legs with your sword.”_ Kai said.  
  
    Lloyd put the bow away before taking off the mask. It was the only way to get his sword after all.  
  
    With his form shifted he drew his weapon, keeping the mask in the other hand. He rushed forward before the monster could collect itself, landing a solid slash to its calf.  
  
    It roared again. Lloyd moved to attack its other leg but as he did the monster spat fire at the ground. Lloyd screamed as the flames rushed toward him.  
  
   _“The mask!”_  
  
    He put it on. The burning from the shift was even more intense than the flames around him, but it protected him.  
  
    Well, from the heat.  
  
    As the fire licked up his legs and his shoulders he felt a different kind of burning under his skin. Anger, rage. It came ripping from his chest and he screamed.  
  
   _“Lloyd, focus.”_  
  
    He couldn’t listen. He wanted to fight, destroy something, destroy that damned mask. It was all its fault his father was dead. It was all its fault Harumi did all this. So many people hurt, killed, and for what?  
  
   _“Lloyd you can’t let it control you too. You have to snap out of it.”_  
  
    The monster reared back, swords at the ready.  
  
     _“I know you’re angry Lloyd. You have every right to be, but not like this. It’s hurting you.”_  
  
    Only now did Lloyd notice the fire clinging to his shoulders. It wasn’t warm like Kai’s, it stung. It felt cold.  
  
    The monster moved to strike.  
  
   _“Lloyd move!”_  
  
    He rolled out of the way, still sitting in the flames from earlier. The swords clanged against the ground, sending up more sparks.  
  
    Anger kept gnawing at his chest. He wanted to tear this beast apart but what could he do? It was so big. It was too much. It was–  
  
   _“Remember what Ronin said? Fight fire with fire.”_  
  
    “That doesn’t make any sense.” Lloyd shouted back. “You can’t do that. It just makes it worse.”  
  
   _“Use a different kind of fire. You can feel the difference right? Blind anger burns hot but just anger burns hotter.”_  
  
    The monster raised its sword again. Its roar shook the walls, soot falling from the ceiling.  
  
     _“It’s okay to be angry. It’s okay to be mad that people got hurt, that you lost people you loved. But you have to let it out.”_  
  
    The sword came down.  
  
     _“Now!”_  
  
    Lloyd screamed again, he screamed with everything he had as he thrust his arms forward. Fire roared from every corner of his body, rushing over the floor and creating a pillar. The sword collided with it, the black metal glowing orange on contact with the intense heat.  
  
    Lloyd kept screaming. He didn’t stop. The fire grew and grew, the colors flickering from orange, to yellow, and even to blue.  
  
    The force of it kept the swords pushed back, the glow going from orange to white. The shape of the metal began to twist. The monster stumbled back, flames licking up its arms. It shrieked, clawing at them, trying to put it out.  
  
    Lloyd refused to yield.  
  
    There were still people to protect. He wouldn’t let them suffer the same fate.  
  
    But finally, his anger burned out.  
  
    The flames sputtered and stopped. He dropped to his knees to catch his breath, his throat hoarse.  
  
    The monster kept screeching. The flames kept growing. Bit by bit its body fell apart, turning into ash. Cracks formed in its mask under the heat. It clawed at its face.  
  
    Suddenly it burst, sparks and soot exploding through the room. Lloyd covered his face, coughing through it. It smelled like tar.  
  
    There was a clatter, similar to one he’d heard before. He dared to open his eyes, the air still cloudy, to see the mask laying on the floor.  
  
    It looked so much smaller now, the horns gone and the light no longer in its eyes. Lloyd was slow to get up, his legs still felt weak.  
  
    Bit by bit he made his way over to the mask. It stared up at him, the angry expression still on its face.  
  
     _“Be careful.”_ Kai warned, and he understood. Just putting his hands close to it felt warm.  
  
    He picked it up, studying it. It seemed so normal. Was that all that was left though? What about the guardian? If it was gone then what would happen to the swamp?  
  
    His body felt light. Lloyd blinked to see his feet slowly lifting off the floor. The space around him seemed to distort, going blurry as it began to glow. The light rushed toward him and he flinched.  
  
. . .  
  
_“You’ve seized the mask of Vengeance! You just freed the innocent spirit consumed by rage. May the flames of your heart turn gentle once again.”_  
  
. . .  
  
    “Lloyd?”  
  
    He knew that voice. He’d been hearing it in his head for a few days now, but now it was so clear.  
  
    “Lloyd? Come on, get up.”  
  
    Someone touched his face. Lloyd’s eyes finally fluttered open although he had to shrink back from the harsh light around him. It took him a moment to adjust, although no matter how much he did something about his surroundings still felt blurry, unreal. There were pastel pillars around him, or fountains perhaps as water flowed down from them. He felt something cold under his hand to see he was sitting on one, yet it didn’t feel wet.  
  
    “You okay?”  
  
    Lloyd finally turned to look at the source of the voice. Kai stared back at him, concern all over his features.  
  
    Lloyd couldn’t help but smile. “Kai!” He rushed forward, tackling his friend into a hug. Maybe this was just a dream but he felt so real. He was right here. He was...  
  
    “Wait, did I die?” Lloyd leaned back a bit.  
  
    Kai laughed, ruffling his hair. “No, I don’t think so. But I’m not sure where we are.” He looked around. The space seemed to go on forever, just more and more white. The water fell into an abyss. “We just sort of teleported after you picked up that mask.”  
  
    Kai helped Lloyd stand up. He still had all his equipment. He could still feel some of the injuries from the fight, so this certainly wasn’t an afterlife.  
  
    At least he hoped you weren’t in pain when you died.  
  
    “Some fight, huh?” Kai smiled at him.  
  
    Lloyd snorted. “Please, I would have been done for if it wasn’t for you.”  
  
    “Nah, I think you would have figured something out.” He grinned this time, patting Lloyd’s head again. “You’re a smart kid.”  
  
    Lloyd wondered for a moment if this is what having a sibling would be like. The tribe of Constricti in the mountains near his home had gotten into the habit of calling him “brother” but he doubted it was the same. Right now he watched Kai as he ruffled his hair, grinning, almost looking proud.  
  
    He wished it could last. At least he had his friend’s voice to cling to.  
      
    A voice sung out in the distance. It was deep, echoing across the fountains and bouncing back. Both Lloyd and Kai looked to where they presumed the source was. In the glowing, white fog Lloyd could see a figure. Something about it was familiar.  
  
    “What is that?” Lloyd asked.  
  
    “I think... that’s the swamp guardian.” Kai took a step toward it. “It’s trying to talk to us.”  
  
    Lloyd couldn’t fathom a thing it was saying, but the deep tones almost sounded like a tune.  
  
    “Hey, your instrument.” Kai turned to him. “Get it out.”  
  
    Lloyd frowned but did as he was told, getting out the flute and putting it to his lips. The same sounds kept echoing in the air, and after a moment Kai began to mimic them with his own hum. Lloyd played it through his head before echoing it back. The song seemed somber, slow, but each note rang out just as loud as the guardian’s voice.  
  
    When Lloyd had it down he shot Kai a smile, only for it to drop when he saw the creature was approaching. Its steps were slow, thundering against the ground. The air around them seemed to shake making everything go blurry again.  
  
    It came into view, still just as tall as the monster he’d faced. Its for arms were at rest at its side and its face...  
  
    “Why does it have a face?” Lloyd spoke, taking a step back. He couldn’t help but feel frightened. What did it want?  
  
    “Call us...” Kai’s voice was off, sounding more like a whisper as he kept staring at the guardian. “Call us.”  
  
    The creature reached out a hand, resting its palm in front of the platform. Kai took a step forward.  
  
    “Wait!” Lloyd shot out and grabbed him. That seemed to break him out of the trance he was in. “What are you doing?”  
  
    “I...” Kai blinked  a few times. “I have to go, Lloyd.”  
  
    “What?” Lloyd straightened up, glancing at the guardian’s face again. “What do you mean?”  
  
    “The guardian of the swamp is dead. Someone has to take its place.”  
  
    His heart sunk down to his stomach. No, that couldn’t mean what he thought it meant. “What’s going to happen to you then? What about having my back? You said you’d stay.”  
  
    “I’ll still have your back.”  
  
    “No, you’ll be stuck in here!” Lloyd didn’t mean to shout, but the anger rushed out of his chest. “You can’t be in two places at once.”  
  
    “Lloyd.” Kai gripped his shoulders as tight as he could. “If I’m in your head or not I’ll have your back. You still have that mask. You’ll have my power. And when the time comes, call us.”  
  
    Lloyd gritted his teeth, trying to force back tears. “Who’s ‘us?’”  
  
    “The other three guardians. Find them, save them, and when the time is right play that song. We’ll be there.” Kai gave him a soft smile, ruffling his hair again. “I know its hard, but you’re not alone, I promise.”  
  
    Part if it felt empty, some kind of lie. He’d be alone again. Without that voice in his head what was he supposed to do. He didn’t know this land. He’d be lost.  
  
    Kai pulled him into a hug, almost squeezing the air out of him. “I seriously can’t thank you enough, you know that right?”  
  
    “I’ll miss you.” Lloyd mumbled.  
  
    “Hey,” Kai pulled back. “Every time you light a fire in your palm that’s me, protecting you, don’t forget that.”  
  
    Kai gave him an affectionate pat to the face as he straightened up. The guardian still stood there, hand out, unmoving.  
  
    “Go find my sister, Lloyd.” Kai was still smiling. “She’s way smarter than me, she’ll tell you where to go.”  
  
    Lloyd didn’t know what else to say. All he could do was stand there, numb, as Kai stepped onto the guardian’s hand.  
  
    The white light around him swallowed him once more.  
  
. . .  
  
_“You learned the Oath to Order!”_  
  
. . .  
  
    Lloyd’s feet touched down on the ground. He found himself standing outside of the temple. He felt the ground shake, the water below him surging in and out as the purple shade from it faded. Was it clearing up? It must be, the curse had been lifted after all.  
  
    He tried to catch his breath. He felt his bag shake. He took it off to see the dragon shards flying out, heading toward a nearby cave. Is that where the rest of them were? He hadn’t thought to explore it earlier.  
  
    “...Kai?” He spoke out loud. He took out the mask that was still in his possession, the empty face staring back at him.  
  
    No response.  
  
    His throat went tight but he swallowed the tears back. No sense in crying over it right now. Even then, he put the mask back on. Despite the pain from the transformation the lingering warmth made him feel safer, like maybe Kai was still around.  
  
    There was a distant roar. Lloyd glanced over at the cave to see a burst of flame. The dragon flew out of it, it’s red scales shining in the afternoon sun. It circled in the sky a few times before landing on top of the temple.  
  
    “Hello, Hero of Time.” Its voice was so much deeper than the first one he encountered. “I am Flame, the dragon of power. I wish to thank you for returning me to my original form.”  
  
    “You’re welcome.” Lloyd more or less stuttered out as he kept his head tilted back.  
  
    “I am sorry it is not much, but please accept this magic power. It will allow you to draw flames from your sword when you do a spin attack.”  
  
    Yeah, wasn’t much, but it would certainly come in handy if he got surrounded. He nodded, barely getting a chance to prepare himself before the dragon spat flames over him. Lloyd screamed.  
  
    The dragon chuckled. “My apologies.”  
  
    “A little warning would be nice.” He tried to catch his breath.  
  
    Flame shook its head. “I wish I could do more, but you are short on time I believe. Go find the princess, she is locked below the temple. The door should be open now.”  
  
    Lloyd looked down at the water before stepping to the edge of the temple. He crouched down on his knees as he peeked over, seeing the wooden plank now visible in the clear water. Following it he could see the outline of a door.  
  
    He glanced up to thank the dragon but the creature had already taken off, flying up into the sky.  
  
    Lloyd sighed. He tried to focus on the sounds of the now healthy swamp to deal with the silence that lingered in his head.  
  
    He jumped down from the wall, his feet splashing into the water and getting buried in mud. He ignored the sensation as he waded out of it and into the door. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the lower light, but thankfully the room was small enough to be lit from outside.  
  
    “Hah, finally free.”  
  
    The voice surprised him. He turned, seeing another door covered in vines.  
  
    “I knew that magic couldn’t last. Now I just have to get out of here and–”  
  
    The vines were shoved aside. The source of the voice, a girl, stared at him in shock. Her hair was black, pulled up into a pony tail. Her face was rounder than Kai’s but still looked a bit similar.  
  
    Definitely his sister. Nya, right?  
  
    “Kai!” Her face lit up. Oh no, what was he supposed to tell her? She was already running toward him. Maybe he should just do his best to play along before he vanished and reset time again. He only had until midnight after all.  
  
    But then she slowed down, lowered her arms. The grin on her face shifted to a light frown.  
  
    “No...”  
  
    Lloyd’s muscles went tense.  
  
    “You’re not him.”  
  
    What? How could she tell? Everyone else he encountered swore he was Kai. Was it because Kai was gone now?  
  
    “You sure look like him though.” Her smile was strained as she tilted her head. “Um, what’s your name?”  
  
    Lloyd swallowed. What did he tell her? What could he possibly say?  
  
    He should just tell her the truth, right?  
  
    He slowly reached up, hooking his fingers under his chin to pry the mask off. The warmth left his body. Nya now stood a bit taller than him, her mouth falling open in shock.  
  
    “My name is Lloyd.” His voice came out so quiet he wondered if she could even hear him.  
  
    She stared at the mask, still in shock. “What... what happened?”  
  
    “I...” Lloyd cringed, holding the object close to his chest. “As I was passing into Termina I... I met your brother.” He twisted it in his grip. His heart wouldn’t slow down. “He was hurt, and in trouble. I tried to save him but... we were cursed by Harumi. She stuck us together and I thought I could save him after we split apart but he...”  
  
    Lloyd looked down at the mask again. “His spirit got sealed in here, and it let me use his powers. He helped me get through the dungeon to save you but...”  
  
    He sputtered for a moment. Nya searched his face but didn’t say anything, waiting.  
  
    “The guardian died so... Kai took his place. He,” Lloyd’s voice cracked. “He said to tell you sorry. That he went and ran in without thinking. He–” The sentence was cut off by a sob. Lloyd rubbed his eyes. Now wasn’t the time to cry. No doubt Nya was feeling twice as bad as he was.  
  
    “Can I?”  
  
    He blinked through the tears to see Nya holding out her hands. Her eyes were clearly sad but there wasn’t a tear to be seen.  
  
    Lloyd held out the mask and let her take it. She ran her fingers over the front of it, over the scars under the eye.  
  
    Somehow she smiled, although it was small, her eyes squinting.  
  
    “You know,” her voice was cracking too. “I figured he’d go out and do something stupid. Why I was really worried about being captured. Without me around he’s so reckless.” She shook her head and gave Lloyd the mask back. “But... thanks for bringing him back to me.”  
  
    “What?” Lloyd said. “But I didn’t. I couldn’t... I couldn’t save him.”  
  
    Nya pointed to the mask. “If it hadn’t been for you he’d still be trapped by Harumi, right? You brought him back, one way or another. And he’s the guardian now, right? Means he’s hanging around here somewhere. He better not destroy the swamp.”  
  
    She laughed for a moment, but breath by breath it got quieter. Then it shifted into hiccups and then a sob.  
  
    Lloyd didn’t know what to do. He attached the mask to his hip and took a risk as he stepped over to give her a hug.  
  
    Nya jerked him into her arms, squeezing just as tight as her brother had. He let her cry, telling himself to stay solid but in a matter of seconds he was crying as well.  
  
    She was just as warm as Kai. Her clothes smelled like tree sap and pollen probably from all the vines.  
  
    Eventually he calmed down. She did as well, putting him at arms length before rubbing her eyes. She took a deep breath and forced a smile on her face.  
  
    “So, little guy like you managed to get through the dungeon, huh?”  
  
    “With Kai’s help.” Lloyd said.  
  
    “Still, pretty impressive.”  
  
    “Um, how did you know I wasn’t him.” Lloyd fiddled with his cape. “Everyone else kept thinking I was Kai.”  
  
    Her smile faltered. “You didn’t rush up to hug me right away. I knew... no matter how much you looked like him you couldn’t be.”  
  
    So that was it. Keeping up the facade was a lot harder without Kai giving him advice.  
  
    “So, now what? You got other places to be?”  
  
    Lloyd did, but he decided not to tell her about him resetting time. It’d just make her head hurt. It’d take too long to explain. He–  
  
    “Oh no.” Lloyd straightened up. “We have to get you back home.”  
  
    She huffed. “Yeah, my parents are probably worried sick.”  
  
    “They were going to punish Ronin for kidnapping you.”  
  
    “ _What?_ ”  
  
    Her voice boomed through the room, so loud that Lloyd flinched. He saw fire spit from her mouth.  
  
    “They what? Damn it. Damn my father. Come on.” She ran out of the room, snatching Lloyd’s arm along the way.  
  
    “W-wait.” Lloyd said. “Should I put the mask back on? What if they...”  
  
    “Don’t worry about it. I’ll explain it to them after we get this sorted.” She barely cared about the pathways and ran straight into the water. The sludge came all the way up to their knees but she barely slowed down. Lloyd was less running after her and more being dragged through the water. She was a lot stronger than he thought.  
  
    The swamp was so much easier to navigate without the toxic water, and the town wasn’t even far in the first place. They ran along the bridge into town, the folks there already gasping at their presence. Lloyd tried to wave but Nya didn’t even spare them a glance as she kept sprinting for the palace.  
  
    She burst through the front door, fire on her hands. “All of you better stop what you’re doing right now!”  
  
    The entire courtroom froze. There was a huge fire in the center, folks gathered around it. Ronin was off to the side, alive but clearly injured with his remaining eye bruised and cuts running up his arm.  
  
    Nya’s father still stood in front of his throne, shock on his face.  
  
    “Nya,” he grinned and climbed down.  
  
    Nya stomped forward to meet him, the anger never leaving her face. They met in front of the fire, her father going for a hug but Nya just grabbed his shirt and shaking him.  
  
    “What do you think you‘re doing to Ronin?” She shrieked. Everyone in the room shrunk back in fear.  
  
   _“Blind anger burns hot but just anger burns hotter.”_ Kai’s comment echoed in his head.  
  
    Lloyd couldn’t help but chuckle a bit.  
  
    “Why are you like this dad? I go missing for a few days and you start pulling this on my friends.” Her glare whipped around to the guards next to Ronin. “What are you all gawking at? Let him go right now!”  
  
    The guards stood at attention and nodded before reaching for Ronin. They helped him up, undoing the ropes on his arms. The man shot them a brief glare before rubbing the bruises on his wrists.  
  
    Nya let go of her father who almost collapsed on the floor. She darted over to Ronin and pulled him into a quick hug.  
  
    “Are you okay?” She glanced over his injuries. “How badly did he hurt you?”  
  
    “I’m fine, kid. Glad you’re okay.” Ronin ruffled her hair before glancing at Lloyd who slowly approached the two of them. “Who’s this?”  
  
    “Oh, this is Lloyd he...” Nya paused. “He helped my brother get me out of the temple.”  
  
    Lloyd frowned. Was it really worth lying? Maybe she just wanted to explain things later instead of in front of a crowd of people.  
  
    “Where is your brother?” Nya’s father stepped over, flinching back when his daughter shot him a quick glare.  
  
    “He’s... still at the temple.” Nya said. At least it wasn’t a complete lie. “I’ll explain later.”  
  
    “Well, with the two of you safe and the swamp free of it’s curse, we should celebrate.” Her father cheered and the rest of the people soon followed along.  
  
    “No one’s doing any celebrating until we get Ronin patched up.” Nya snapped. “Come on.” She put Ronin’s arm over her shoulder, although she could only support him so much with her height.  
  
    Lloyd followed the pair of them out of the courtroom and into the smaller rooms in the palace. She lead them to what Lloyd assumed was a medical room of sorts, with potions, herbs, and bandaging materials lining the walls.  
  
    “Here,” Nya pushed him toward the bench and went to grab a small red potion. “Drink this. I’ll get something made up for your cuts.”  
  
    Ronin downed the vile, the swelling on his face already easing up. Lloyd shifted on his feet. He wanted to stay, make sure they were both alright, but he couldn’t. He had to...  
  
    He had to start all of this over.  
  
    Nya would be imprisoned, so would Ronin. And what about Kai? Would he stay the guardian? Maybe it would all stay in order by the time he got back.  
  
    He didn’t have that optimism, but Kai was right. Maybe when he freed the others it’d be easier to sort it out the next time around.  
  
    “I’m sorry.” Lloyd said. “I... I have to go.”  
  
    Nya seemed startled by his words, her hair whipping around when she turned. “Are you sure? Don’t you want me to patch you up too?”  
  
    Lloyd shook his head. “It... won’t matter. Don’t worry about it. Um...” He pressed his lips together. Would it really matter what he said right now? She wouldn’t remember any of it. “When I’m done, with my journey, I’ll bring this back.” He faintly gestured to the mask on his hip, keeping it angled so Ronin couldn’t see it. “Figure you should have it.”  
  
    Nya nodded, concern all over her face. She put down the bowl she was mixing herbs in to pull him into another hug. “Come back and see me anytime, okay? And thanks again, for helping my brother.”  
  
    Lloyd still wanted to argue that he didn’t. That Kai was dead. Instead he just nodded.  
  
    Nya let him go. He gave both of them one more wave before making his way out of the palace. The townsfolk gave him some odd glances but none of them said anything. He kept his hand over the mask just in case.  
  
    Once he was outside he glanced around the swamp. It was so beautiful now. The water was clear, the plants were thriving. Even the bugs seemed to have calmed down.  
  
    Lloyd sighed and pulled out his flute.  
  
. . .  
  
_“Thanks for bringing him back to me.”_


End file.
